Ballistic protection apparatuses, such as a ballistic shield, are used for a variety of different applications. For example, military personnel can use the ballistic shields in close combat with an enemy so that they can protect several of their vital organs from damage. Law enforcement personnel can also use the ballistic shields for protection during tactical operations, or for use as a non-combative measure for crowd control.
Ballistic shields have evolved over the years. Many are made of materials that make them relatively light in weight but still extremely protective. Some ballistic shields even allow for the ability to mount or place a weapon on the shield so the operator can handle both the weapon and the shield itself, using the shield as both the shield and the sword, so to speak.
Despite the light weight of many ballistic shields, operators still experience fatigue when holding their shields with or without their weapons. For example, a soldier may have to carry the shield when walking through a hostile town for 30 to 40 minutes, or more. Even if the soldier has a shield with reduced weight, the action of carrying and holding the shield will fatigue the soldier. Therefore it is desirable to improve the manner in which an operator can hold and use the shield.
One way to improve the operator's ability to hold and use the shield is to attach separate hardware to the shield allowing the operator to more easily hold the shield or attach the shield to a separate device. This can be accomplished by altering the shield structure so that devices can be connected and/or mounted to the shield. An additional device for holding the shield can be attached to the shield using through-bolts, for example.
However, when altering the shield structure so that additional devices can be attached to the shield, the shield itself becomes vulnerable at the various connection points. For example, the armor would be weaker in a region where a through-bolt may attach an additional device. Therefore, there is a need to provide a ballistic protection apparatus that can be lightweight and easily held by an operator while at the same time maintaining the structural integrity of the shield so that the shield remains strong throughout.